Money ball: The battle to finish in the top 125 players on the PGA's money list extends up and down Turning Stone's leaderboard

Vernon – The glamour boys sit at the top of the PGA Tour’s money list.

Tiger Woods with his $10.5 million in earnings this season. Steve Stricker and Phil Mickelson both over $5 million. The numbers boggle the mind even down to 49th on the money list where Davis Love III can count $1.5 million in winnings this year.

The real drama, however, builds further down the money list.

At the end of the PGA Tour’s season the top 125 golfers on the money list will earn a full exemption for the 2010 season. Those that finish between 126th and 150th will receive conditional status for next season.

Beyond that? Q-School or the Nationwide Tour.

And, so, the tension will pulse up and down the leaderboard today at the final round of the Turning Stone Resort Championship as a big chunk of the tournament field hovers around the No. 125 cutoff point.

This is crunch time on the PGA Tour. The Turning Stone Resort Championship is the first event in the PGA’s Fall Series, which was shortened to five tournaments this year.

And every golfer ranked between 109th and 141st on the PGA’s money list entered this weekend’s tournament at Atunyote.

"Well, yeah, we look at it, but we don’t want to pay attention to it,’’ Robert Garrigus, a 31-year-old veteran who’s been on the PGA Tour for the past four years, said. Garrigus came into this week ranked 124th on the money list. "We glance at it and, say, Yeah, I know I got to play well. If you play well, it takes care of everything else.’’

Last year, six of the seven Fall Series winners were at No. 125 or higher on the money list prior to their tournament victory. Among those was Dustin Johnson, who leapfrogged from 128th to 41st after winning the 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship.

The winner of this year’s Turning Stone Resort Championship will receive a $1,080,000 check.

"It’s a great time of year,’’ Will MacKenzie, who entered this weekend’s tournament ranked 123rd on the money list, said. "The FedEx Cup is over and the average golf fan is not really looking at it, but for us, it’s a very important time in our year and our career.

"There’s a lot of guys sweating it.’’

MacKenzie is actually not one of those guys. Thanks to a tournament win in 2008, MacKenzie is in the midst of a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

"I’m not worried about it because I won last year, but there’s other things at stake,’’ MacKenzie said. "Even if I don’t have to keep my card because I won last year, I still don’t like finishing outside the top 125 just for pride and belief that you can do it in a year that’s not perfect.’’

Meanwhile, the pressure builds on those trying to crack the top 125. Vaughn Taylor, who is tied for sixth after three rounds, entered the tournament at No. 131 on the money list.

"I try not to think about it,’’ Taylor said of the money standings. "It’s kind of whatever is meant to be is meant to be. So, it’s kind of work hard, kind of do my thing every day and however it turns out is how it turns out. But it is what you make of it, I think.’’

Almost every player questioned on the subject estimated the No. 125 cutoff would mean roughly $800,000 to $850,000 in earnings. That number; and not the other golfers on the list, is the main focus.

"I think I’ve got to get to about 800 grand,’’ Garrigus said. "So I’ve got 250 more to go. If I can do that then I’ll be safe and if I can’t I’ll be going back to Q-School.’’

A player’s fortune can change in the blink of an eye; or more appropriately, the swing of a driver.

Nine of the 13 golfers who came into the Turning Stone Resort Championship ranked between 109th to 121st missed the cut here.

"I think everybody approaches it a little bit different,’’ Casey Wittenberg, a 24-year-old who’s 158th on the money list. Wittenberg made the cut, but he’s in a tie for 49th at 4-under par after three rounds. "I just try to make it a day-to-day thing. If I get up there and execute and do what I need to do, it’ll take care of itself.’’

MacKenzie said the key is taking advantage of the opportunities when playing well. Something several players on the money list’s bubble failed to do Saturday.

At one point, three of the leaderboard’s top six were ranked outside the PGA’s top 125. When the third round ended, only two of the top nine players on the leaderboard were outside the top 125.

"When 125 guys keep their cards, it sounds easy, but it’s not,’’ MacKenzie said. "You’ve got to make huge weeks. I can come out here and play well, but if I finish 8-under, I’m not going to make much money at all this week. That doesn’t add up to $800,000 very quick. Tied for 40th and tied for 50th, they don’t add up very quick and sometimes that’s playing pretty well.

"When you’re playing well, you’ve got to keep it going,’’ MacKenzie added. "The money falls off outside the top 10. If you’re in the top 10 and you miss a shot or two coming in, you’ll lose $50,000 or $100,000 quick.’’